Invisible seam



B. GOTTLIEB INVISIBLE SEAM- Feb. 15, 1949.

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Patented Feb. 15, 1949 INVISIBLE Bertha Gottlieb, Cleveland, OhioApplication October 22, 19%, Serial No. 704,811

This invention relates to invisible sewing. It is particularly adaptedto making of repairs which cannot be detected. Also, it has a wide fieldof usefulness and value in the construction of garments with invisibleseams. In the latter instance the outer surface of the garment wouldpresent a uniformly smooth surface with all parts of pattern or figureso matched as to present the appearance of one piece of cloth,irrespective of contour such as for shoulders, waist, sleeve, etc.

Essential objects of the invention include the following: Simplicity ofthe steps for forming such invisible seams; the rapidity with which theoperation may be performed; the security and strength of the seam; thewide adaptability to large variety of cloth or fabric, from thin closelyknit material to heavy pattern or check woolens, and the like; and theconvenience of matching figure or design from small check to largepattern figures.

Other objects and advantages are that no special material other thanthat of the same kind of fabric is needed for either repair or thesewing, by which I mean the making of these seams.

The necessary operations and steps may be performed with the simplestkind of a tool or tools, and the skill and experience required may bereadily and quickly attained to accomplish the forming of such seams andthe making of repairs, which in a large proportion of cases can not bedetected with the naked eye and in fact are difficult to discern evenwith a magnifying glass.

The invention comprises both a'method and an article having such seamsand is so herein described in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrating a preferred method of practicing and carrying out myinvention.

In the drawings,'Fig. 1 illustrates in side elevation one form of toolused in uniting or sewing of the parts by my method;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a piece of fabric prepared foruse; p

Fig. 3 shows a damaged piece with the patch or repair piece in place;Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional diagrams showi the beginning of theformation of the patch or repair seam;

Fig. 6 is a diagram in perspective showing the reverse side with therepair piece in position prior to trimming and subsequent stitching;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the fabric of the parent piece cut awaypreparatory to the securing stitching; v

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section showing the fringed ends extendingthrough thebody of the parent piece at the point where the seam is -3Claims. (cl. 2-243) formed and showing the sewed-together parts prior topressing and covering;

Fig. 9 shows a hand finishing strip or ribbon over the finished seam;and

Figs. 10 and 11 are views of a special needle which may be used.

A simple illustration of the method of carrying out my invention bysecuring the raw fringed edge of one piece of cloth to be applied toanother of the same pattern either to make a seam or I for repair, is asfollows: 1

First, the raw edge ispicked to remove strands of the warp or woof Wleaving a projecting fringe F of one-eighth'of an inch to one-half of aninch in length more or less depending on the thickness of the fabric andnature of the tools being used. For example, a part or piece such asshown at R is cut from the parent cloth to make a repair, a mark M beingmade 'before removal of the piece to indicate the direction of warp andwoof. 1 I

The piece removed is then placed over the damaged spot D of the parentmaterial 1?, with the weave in the same direction, and is moved until astripe or figure, such as indicated by the lines or square S, Fig. 3, ismatched on the outer surface.

Thetooi shown in Fig. 1 is satisfactory for many kinds of fabric toperform the next steps. It comprises a handle I and an extremely finewire loop 2 firmly anchored as indicated at 4 in the handle. The locphasa point capable of penetrating'flne fabric, and it is flexible to permitspringing to the position shown in dotted lines as at ,3, while passingthrough afabric, and then of. assuming the open position shown in solidlines. It is thrust through the parent cloth or fabric from the sideopposite the repairpart R,

at a series of carefully selected points along a line corresponding tothe edge of the frayed. portion which is being held in thepatternmatching position as shown in Fig. 4. I

Theends of the yarn forming the fringe atv F of the piece it are, one byone, thrust through the open loop 2, as shown in Fig. 4, and are drawnthrough the parent cloth P, spreading the cloth as they pass through andprojecting beneath the same. 'as indicated in Fig. 5.

Care is taken todraw threads'of the same color through areas of the likecolor in the parent material. This operation is repeated on all sides oftheattached piece until the parts are in the con- 3 turned down besidethe fringe projections 1'' extending through the parent cloth and theseare then stitched together by hand or by machine with stitches, asindicated at T in Fig. 8, securely holding the projecting yarn ends Fand the portions D2 side-by-side.

Thereafter the fringe ends, which are now tightly held bothby thegripping action of the parent material through which they pass and bythe threads T, are flattened as shown in Fig. 9, andmay be covered by atape 20 lightly stitched, as indicated at 2|, under or inside of thefinished material, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

An invisible seam either crosswise or lengthwise of a garment may bemade in the same fashion as above described and illustrated.

Assuming two pieces are to be joined by my invisible seam, the edge ofone piece of the material is frayed, as shown, leaving fringe ends F.The pieces are then matched to bring uniform registration of line,figure or other fabric pattern, and the frayed or fringe ends F are thenpulled through as before, one, two or more at a time.

If the cut of the piece to have the fringe ends is on a bias, the endswhich are to become frayed ends should be kept uniform in length bycutting the running or cross threads, 1. e., the warp or woof as thecase may be, at short intervals inwardly parallel with the ends to befrayed and for a distance of the length of the ends. Thereafter, thesevered running threads, warp or woof, are removed just as described inconnection with fraying one end of the patch R.

Instead of the loop tool shown in Fig. 1 other forms of loop tool may beused. In Figs. 10 and 11 is shown another form of special hook loophaving a slotted shank l2 with a hook member I! shaped to penetrate thecloth, and having a tongue member I! pivoted in the slot of the shankand arranged to fall backward into the slot as indicated in Fig. 10, andto move to a position enclosing or embracing the fringe ends as shown inFig. 11 for drawing the ends through the body of the cloth.

The joining of two pieces of fabric whether for a patch or a seam is soeffected that not only is the outer surface in one plane and presentsthe appearance of a continuous'piece, but it is very thin and flexible,and in fact quite invisible.

through in'the proper order and color in addition to the'to'ols shownfor effecting the loop engagement, instead of simply using the finger,

a pin, needle or other suitable instrument may be used to selectivelyinsert the fringe ends into the tool loop or'hook.

The essential principle of'the present invention is toso prepare theprojecting fringe of one part that they may be drawn through the fabricof the other part'to which it is to be joined, and in so doing they aregripped in the cross threads and yarn of the fabric and projectedthrough on the other side. 1

For further security they are preferably then 4 7' sewed to a seam flapwhich may be trimmed, fiattened and faced as described.

As stated in the foregoing. the selection of the fringe ends for drawingthem through the unfrayed piece allows so arranging projecting threadsor yarn ends as to match the coloring, shape and appearance of thepattern sufllciently accurately as to defy detection from the face side.

Various modifications or improvements and changes may be made in mymethod without departing from the scope of my invention, the essentialcharacteristics of which are summarized in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: Y

1. A method of forming an invisible seam in a fabric body, consisting infraying a first piece of fabric at an edge thereof to present a fringeof projecting warp or woof ends, placing the frayed piece of fabric overa second piece of fabric in position to match the pattern and withoutany initial alteration of said second piece of fabric, drawing thefrayed fringe edge of said first piece of fabric through said secondpiece offabric,

' and securing the frayed fringe edge of said first piece of fabric tosaid second piece of fabric while preserving the original condition ofthe warp and woof of said second piece of fabric.

2. A method of repairing a damaged spot in a parent piece of fabric.comprising preparing a repair piece of the same fabric by fraying it atall edges thereof to present a fringe of projecting warp and woof ends,placing the repair piece of fabric over the damaged spot in the parentpiece of fabric in position to match the pattern and without any initialalteration ofthe damaged parent piece of fabric, drawing all of thefrayed fringe ends of the repair piece of fabric through the parentpiece of fabric, and securing the 40 frayed fringe ends to the parentpiece of fabric while preserving the original condition -of the warp andwoof of the parent piece of fabric.

3. A method of repairing a damaged spot in a parent piece of fabric,comprising preparing a repair piece of the same fabric by fraying it atall thee dges thereof to present a fringe of projecting warp and woofends, placing the repair piece of fabric over the damaged spot in theparent piece of fabric in position to match the pattern and without anyinitial alteration of the damaged parent piece of fabric, drawing all ofthe frayed fringe ends of the repair piece of fabric through the parentpiece of fabric, slitting the edge portion of the parent piece of fabricabout the damaged spot into flaps in order to facilitate access theretofor sewing; and sewing together the aarnnnnons crran The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 386,723 Smith July'24, 18881,828,812 Laskin Oct. 27, 1931 2,042,403 Hrivnal: May 26, 1936 2.308.717Roach Jan. 19, 1943

